Lock-tie for mail and other purposes.



BENJAMIN A. BLAKEMORE, OF STAUNTON, VIRGINIA.

LOCK-TIE FOR MAIL AND OTHER PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 16,1912.

Application filed March 11, 1911. Serial No. 613,716.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN A. BLAKE- Monn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Staunton, in the county of Augusta and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Ties for Mail and other Purposes, `of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cord fasteners, which are to be used in tying up packages of mail or the like.

An important object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character, by the employment of which cord or the like may be quickly and easily wrapped about a package and the free end of the cord securely held against accidental movement.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cord fastener, which does not include a spring as an operative element, and so constructed that the pull on the cord serves to move a lever for clamping said cord against movement.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character, so constructed that the cord may be moved in one direction for tying the package more tightly but positively prevented from Inoving in a reverse direction whereby the package will become untied.

The invention further aims to provide a cord fastener which is very light, simple in construction, and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved cord fastener, showing the same as applied to a package, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cord fastener, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a clamping lever included in the device, Fig.

4 is a similar view of a guard adapted to cooperate with the clamping lever, and, Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section taken through the plate and clamping lever, showing a stop and means for holding the lever in its open position.

In the drawings wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, a cord fastener is shown, comprising a flat plate or body portion 1, which may preferably be formed of aluminum while any other suitable material may be employed. The plate 1 is shown as circular, but it is to be understood that this shape is immaterial. The plate 1 has a portion of its material stamped out and bent upwardly for forming a post 2, provided at its upper end with a head, as shown. Disposed near and spaced from the post 2 is a guard 3, which is preferably stamped out of the plate 1. This guard is substantially L-shaped in cross-section and is provided at one end thereof with a laterally extending head 4. Disposed near the guard 3 is a clamping lever 5, having one end tapering to a point to form a jaw 6. The clamping lever 5 is pivotally connected with the plate 1 at a point intermediate the ends of said clamping lever and near the 6, as shown at 7. The clamping lever 5 is adapted to be swung into and out of the guard 3, the head 4 of said guard extending slightly beyond and covering one end of said clamping lever. The clamping lever is provided upon its upper side with a finger-nail groove S and upon the end thereof which is adjacent the head 4 with a groove 9. Disposed near the jaw 6 of the clamping lever is a stationary post 10, having a laterally extending head, as shown. This post mav preferably be stamped from the plate l. When the clamping lever 5 is swung to its open position the same engages a stop 10 (see Fig. 5), which is preferably forced out of the plate 1. The clamping lever is held in this open position by an upstanding stud 11 disposed near and spaced from the stop 10. The stud 11 is adapted for insertion within a recess 12 formed upon the lower face of the clamping lever. The numeral 11 designates a package and the numeral 12 a cord for tying the same. One end of the cord 12 is secured to the plate 1 bv passing the same through an opening 13 formed in the plate and then tying the end of the cord in a knot.

In the use of the device. the same is placed upon one side of the package 11 and held in place by the operator pressing his thumb against the plate 1. The cord 12 having one end thereof attached to the plate 1, is wrapped longitudinally about the package 11 to engage the post 2 and then such cord is wrapped transversely of the package and brought back to engage the post 2 upon the opposite side thereof. The cord 12 is then placed below the head 4 and is accordingly guided into the slot 9 formed upon one end of the clamping lever. The cord 12 is then disposed in engagement with and extends longitudinally of the clamping lever to be disposed between the j aw 6 and the stationary post 10.

From the description of the above referred to parts, it is obvious that the free end of the cord 12 may be moved in one direction to make the tying of the package tighter but that the cord cannot be moved in a reverse direction for untying the package, unless the operator rst oscillates the clamp ing lever 8 to move the jaw G away fronftlie stationary post 10. Instead of wrapping the cord 12 about the package 11 longitudinally and transversely thereof, such cord may be wrapped about the package in any direction. Then the cord 12 is wrapped about the package 11 longitudinally, such cord will not be placed about the post 2 but will be carried under the head 1l and in engagement with the clamping lever 5, as above described.

An important feature of the invention is that no spring is necessary to move the lever for clamping the jaw 6 against the post 10, as the pull on the cord causes an oscillation of the lever to clamp the cord. It will thus be seen that the tighter the package is tied the harder will the lever 5 grip against the cord.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that certain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a device of the character described, a fiat plate provided with means whereby a cord or the like may be permanently at tached thereto, a post attached to the flat plate and adapted to be engaged by the cord, a housing formed upon the plate and having both ends and one side thereof formed open, said housing being provided upon one end with a curved laterally extending head, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the plate and positioned adjacent the open side of said housing to be capable of swinging movement into and out of the same, said lever having one end thereof provided with a horizontal groove to receive the cord, said head of the housing being adapted to extend over that end of the lever provided with said horizontal groove, the opposite end of said lever being in the form of a clamping jaw,`a post attached tothe plate and disposed in proper relation to the lever whereby the cord may be clamped by the lever against the last named post said last named post having an upper horizontal port-ion to extend across the clamping aw of the lever when said lever is in a certain position, to prevent the upward displacement of the cord, said plate being provided with a small and a large upwardly extending lug and said lever being provided upon its lower face with a recess adapted to receive the small lug whereby said lever may be held in its open position while the large lug limits the movement of the lever in that direction.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN A. BLAKEMORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

